OK so im having some issues...

The spirited black sheep of the Genuine lineup

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
schizasjr
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:51 pm

OK so im having some issues...

Post by schizasjr »

Ok. So, ive been borrowing my friends roughouse 50 for about 6 months and am having some issues that i could use some help troubleshooting before i return it to him in May. I brought it in to a genuine authorized dealer to have the front brake fixed and some other things looked at and this is what im left with...Forgive my rambling
- When I brought it in, one of my concerns was that when i cranked it up, the back wheel starts spinning all on its own and an abundance of smoke was coming out of the exhaust. Now, its almost like the wheel can barely move. pushing it while not running is much more difficult and while i was riding some "smoke: was coming from the wheel area, not the exhaust, and an interesting smell was coming from the area as well. My first thought is that he tightened something with the brake back there and its now too tight. Another issue that may be related is that the rear brake lever seems much tighter and it takes a lot of effort for it to engage the rear brake light, requiring A LOT of squeeze at the brake lever to make the brake light come on. Ok next issue
- Before i brought it in, the low beam stopped shining so i thought, no big deal, ill just ride high beams for a while. Then the high beams went a short while later, maybe a couple of weeks. Fuses? The bulbs themselves? Again, this issue was present before i took it in.
-So when i was picking it up today, and attempted to crank it with the electric start, nothing happened. Mind you it most certainly worked before going in. I don't think i ever used the kick starter...He mentioned the battery could be dead and thats why...it kickstarted right away and off i went...on the ride home i now am noticing the turn signals, horn etc... are not working. is this truly the battery? Maybe he left it on and drained it dead? Anyway, I am certain these are minimal issues but im trying to make sure its all taken care of the RIGHT way. Any help will be appreciated. Thank You.
User avatar
agrogod
Member
Posts: 1156
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Rancho Cordova, CA

Post by agrogod »

Hi schizasjr, welcome to the forums. Lets start with that rear brake issue. From your description it seems as though your shop guy over tightened the drum brake. This is easily fixed with the adjustment knob. Its located on the left side if you stand at the rear of the scoot. Look at the rear wheel and you will see a threaded shaft with a turning knob on it. Turn this counter-clockwise to loosen the brake. You can push the scoot to see if its loosened enough and get it back to where it was before. Riding with it over tightened will eventually lead to brake failure. This should also help with that tight feel at the brake handle end and the brake light issue.

All your electrics run off the battery, so leaving a dead battery in place will just hurt other electric components. Get a new battery in there and your head light issue should clear up. If it doesn't you will need to replace the head light bulb.

As for the smoke from your exhaust, this just comes down to what type of 2T oil was used. Using a low smoke oil will clear this up. If it does not you may have a piston issue.

And just to ad my two cents about your shop, I would look for another one if possible. They may be Genuine sanctioned but it seems that they aren't into the Genuine line-up if they can't do a simple brake adjustment.
"When your mouth is yapping your arms stop flapping, get to work" - a quote from my father R.I.P..
always start with the simple, it may end up costing you little to nothing
schizasjr
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:51 pm

Post by schizasjr »

Ok, new battery and adjusted the rear brake drum. The headlights are still not working and i assume i just need to go ahead and replace the bulbs. Have looked at the link on this site regarding bulb information...Are they available at general automotive shops or must they be ordered online? I called pep boys and they didn't seem to have any luck with the part numbers i located on this website. Any suggestions? Thanks again for helping with my nooby questions.
User avatar
ender07
Member
Posts: 192
Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 9:17 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Post by ender07 »

schizasjr wrote:Ok, new battery and adjusted the rear brake drum. The headlights are still not working and i assume i just need to go ahead and replace the bulbs. Have looked at the link on this site regarding bulb information...Are they available at general automotive shops or must they be ordered online? I called pep boys and they didn't seem to have any luck with the part numbers i located on this website. Any suggestions? Thanks again for helping with my nooby questions.
FYI check out the TECHNICAL LIBRARY or FAQ & HOW-TO section of the site to get this kind of info....

This is the bulb I bought for my roughhouse and it's much brighter than stock
PIAA 70473 Super Plasma GT-X HS1 Bulb
Roughhouse 50 - custom green paint job, Prima exhaust pipe, 5G rollers, 1000 RPM contra spring, 2000 RPM clutch pillow springs, 95 carb jet, UNI pod air filter, debadged, delobstered, PIAA Super Plasma performance headlight
User avatar
agrogod
Member
Posts: 1156
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Rancho Cordova, CA

Post by agrogod »

We all were noobs at one time so helping a fellow scooterist is just being part of the community effort. Hopefully some time in the future you will be able to help another.

Your headlight bulb was probably damaged from an electric surge from the charging system, one reason why having a good battery in the circuit helps. Without the battery to absorb these surges most of your lights if not all will eventually fail as well as other components. The battery acts as a kind of buffer between the charging end and the using end.
Ender07's recommendation for a brighter bulb is valid since being seen is a major issue as a two wheel traveler. I am sure that returning your friends scoot in better than new condition won't upset him. Just let him know of the upgrades you have done so he can decide if he wants to continue using them or go back to stock, if you go this route.
If not visit scooterworks as they are the offshoot company to Genuine's lineup and usually have OEM parts in stock. Their links are listed on this sites pages.
"When your mouth is yapping your arms stop flapping, get to work" - a quote from my father R.I.P..
always start with the simple, it may end up costing you little to nothing
scootERIK
Member
Posts: 758
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:40 am
Location: Lake Geneva, WI

Post by scootERIK »

agrogod wrote:
And just to ad my two cents about your shop, I would look for another one if possible. They may be Genuine sanctioned but it seems that they aren't into the Genuine line-up if they can't do a simple brake adjustment.
ANY shop that can't properly adjust a rear drum brake on a scooter should be avoided at all costs.
Post Reply